YuGiOh: The Pit of 100 Trials
by mario72486
Summary: Based off of Cyber Commander's "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Thousand-Year Door." Dive into one of the few unexplored sections of the mythos, and the dangers that lurk within...
1. Reckless Greed

With the blessings of Cyber Commander, the creator of "Yu-Gi-Oh: The Thousand-Year Door," I am now able to post this work. Some might consider it part of his continuity, but I'd prefer to recognize it as a simply spin-off. I don't intend to take things any further after this is complete. Due to its size, it will be divided into six chapters. Keep an eye out for them. In the meantime, let us begin…

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_**It was supposed to be the easy path to making it big…**_

_**It was supposed to be the fulfillment of my wildest dreams…**_

_**That's how it appeared to be portrayed, but if only I knew the truth…**_

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**Yu-Gi-Oh: The Pit of 100 Trials**

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**Chapter 1: Reckless Greed**

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Ever since the tournament on 'Monster Island,' the competition in which the heralded Three Heroes forever vanquished the dreaded Shadow Queen, rumors had spread of a great power that was locked away in the demon's deepest and darkest sanctum. Some believed the one who could reach the deepest part of the sanctum would be granted their heart's desire. Others thought a legendary treasure was kept there. Knowing that the Shadow Queen worked with magic, one had to believe that either idea was plausible.

Whoever wished to seek this treasure would not only have to face the dangers, but also tests, or 'trials,' as some wanted to call them. The only concrete bit of information was that traversing through the Pit would require the use of the game Duel Monsters, the same method of play used in the tournament itself.

Not long after the offspring of the Shadow Queen took over the reins of governing the nation, they warned everyone not to seek this Pit, or disaster would strike.

But no one took this warning seriously. Despite the rulers' warnings, expeditions were dispatched to try to locate this supposed Pit.

Several years later, it was discovered. It was little more than a simple cave entrance, with a sign made of oak posted in front. In blood-red letters were the words:

**DANGER! DO NOT ENTER!**

**This doorway is the entrance to the Pit of 100 Trials!**

**Dedicated One-Turn-Kill and Stall decks don't work, so BEWAAAAAAAAAAARE!**

Those who found it just laughed, and some had the courage to enter and try to claim what they considered their just rewards.

They were never heard from again.

Those who knew these poor souls spread the word of their fate, calling out the same warnings given by the rulers of Monster Island.

But still no one listened.

As time went on, countless more brave souls made their way to the sanctum, confident that they would be the ones to defeat the Trials.

Nearly twenty years to the date after it was discovered, 999 individuals had entered the Pit of 100 Trials. No one ever saw or heard from them again, so one could only assume they had all met the same fate.

On this day, another individual arrived at the entrance of the accursed dungeon……

His name was Uriel, a duelist in his early twenties. His clothes were a little unorthodox: a white t-shirt covered by a black vest, khaki shorts, and brown sandals. His lightly tanned skin and dark hair suggested someone of Turkish or Middle Eastern descent. Truthfully, he was Israeli, and he was not afraid to admit that fact.

Uriel's father was a soldier in the Israeli army, his mother a registered nurse. While neither was home very often, they did everything in their power to ensure family life was happy and comfortable. That all changed when his father was killed in a supposed enemy missile strike.

Distraught, the boy tried finding something to distract him from the sadness and insanity. He slowly but surely picked up the game of Duel Monsters, and it quickly became his primary mode of escape. At first he didn't have many powerful cards, but he traded what he had and spent what money he could afford to change that.

It took quite a while to complete his deck the way he had it today, but it was worth it. He had won several tournaments in his region, and was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in his part of the globe. With everything going right for him, he knew he was on top of the world…

Until he learned that his mother was one of six victims of a roadside bomb.

His world was turned upside down once again. Desperation had come; Uriel felt he had lost it all; even after moving in with his grandparents, suicidal thoughts ran through his mind. He was to the point where he was willing to give up everything to return life to the way it used to be.

This was when he first heard the rumors of the Pit of 100 Trials.

He knew it was a long shot, but if this supposed 'ultimate treasure' could change a person's life, he was more than willing to go after it. Doing some research and digging up savings from what was left of his account, he made his way to Monster Island without telling anyone where he was going.

When Uriel arrived on the island, no one he asked would dare speak of what they considered 'that dreadful place.' He brushed them aside, knowing exactly where to find it, anyway. He had heard the rumors of the hundreds of so-called 'victims,' and had seen the warning signs to keep out; but they were nothing more than blurs to him. He had faith in the heavens above that nothing was going to stand in his way of fulfilling his goal. If something did happen to him, he at least knew his parents would be waiting for him on the other side.

The duel disk on his arm was an older model than what most people were using at that time, but he didn't care. It worked, and that was all that mattered. He reached under his shirt and pulled out a unique necklace, a gift from his mother. He took the large silver pendant - a Star of David - and gave it a kiss for good luck. Exhaling deeply, he took a step towards the Pit's entrance.

"Hold it."

Uriel turned towards the source of the feminine voice. He saw someone standing under one of the trees. She, he guessed, was covered with a black cloak.

"I cannot allow you to go any further," the woman stated. "The place you plan to enter is hellish ground."

"Who do you think you are?" Uriel asked.

"I'd ask you the same thing," she replied. "Are you out of your mind? You're going to end up just like the other unfortunate people who thought they had a chance down there."

"What do you know?" Uriel exclaimed, his temper rising a bit. "I know the risks, and it's not like I have anything left to live for. It's my choice whether or not I take the plunge."

"And it will be a foolhardy choice," the woman said. "Don't you understand that you are messing with forces beyond your control? I don't see how you will be able to survive!"

By this time, Uriel's patience was wearing thin. "What do you know? You act as if you know everything about this place!"

"Let's just say I have my sources," the figure replied, "sources who used to work alongside the Shadow Queen, herself. We don't know much, but we do know that a great peril was kept down there."

"A great peril?" Uriel asked. "What exactly are you talking about?"

"I can't really say. What this 'peril' really is remains a mystery. No one was ever told what it looks like. They were told, however, that the Shadow Queen was originally planning to use it as part of her campaign of conquering the world, had she fulfilled her goal of eliminating the Three Heroes. Why it was locked away, we don't know. The Queen used a strong bit of magic to seal off all access to the dungeon, but once she was defeated the seal vanished into nothing. That's why her offspring put out those warnings in the first place."

"Is it truly that dangerous?" Uriel asked. "Sounds like a bit of bogus storytelling if you ask me."

"This is no joke," the woman explained. "While we may not know its purpose, we believe it could be a threat to everything if it ever made its way out. If you value your life, I highly suggest you leave now."

Uriel gave a cough, looking down at the ground. "Look, I appreciate you trying to steer me in the other direction, but my mind is already made up. I'm going down there, I'm going to trample through whatever 'trials' they have, and I'm going to claim this treasure! This is my chance to show the world that the rumors about people disappearing in there are _only_ rumors, and that this so-called Pit can be conquered!"

The woman simply stared back at the boy. If he had seen her face, he would have seen a look of utter disbelief. "…and nothing else I say is going to make a difference?" When Uriel shook his head, she gave a heavy sigh. "Well…at least let me see the deck you'll be using. If you're planning on facing the trials, you had better have the necessary cards for it."

At first, Uriel was a bit skeptic of this request, but he handed over his deck. As soon as she saw the top card on the deck, the woman gave a hum of interest. Uriel looked on as she fanned through the cards, hemming and hawing every once in a while.

"Interesting," she commented, "I never would have imagined someone like you running a deck like this."

Uriel gave a shrug. "I guess it was my calling. I've always been attracted to this sort of thing, and once I picked up the game, these cards seemed right."

"I see…" The figure mused, handing the deck back to him. "It could use some improvements, though…" She reached into her cloak and pulled out two cards. "Here, consider these a gift."

Uriel was surprised when he saw the cards. "But…why? My deck is good enough as it is."

"Trust me. You may need these more than you know. They will most certainly help you when the going gets tough. Who knows, they might help you get through the final challenges." She could see that Uriel was still a bit skeptical. "If you won't heed the warnings I've been giving you, at least accept the help I'm providing. It could mean the difference between life and death."

A moment passed before Uriel made up his mind. "Fine, I'll take your word for it." He took the two cards and shuffled them into his deck. "But I doubt I'll actually need them."

_We'll see, _the woman thought to herself.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have a treasure to obtain." Uriel cracked his knuckles and added the deck to his duel disk. "Look out, Pit of 100 Trials! I'm coming for ya!" Before the woman could say anything else, the boy dashed into the cavern.

As Uriel vanished through the mouth of the pit entrance, the woman gave a groan.

"This is bad...Vladimir and the others are not going to be happy about this. We may have to be prepared for the worst…"

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Soon after entering the cavern, Uriel climbed down a flight of steep stairs lined with torches. The thought of how people could stand going up and down something like this didn't occur to him; his mind was focused on making his way through.

At the foot of the stairs he turned to his right, and he found a large wooden door with the words "Level 1" inscribed in gold letters. They say that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and this was no different. The boy opened the door and entered.

He came into a fairly large open room. It was bare, except for lit candles hanging from the walls on either side of him. Uriel saw that, instead of a fourth wall, there was another flight of stairs. He looked down and noticed the floor was shaped like a dueling arena.

"What is this?" He thought out loud.

"Your ticket to an early grave…" A raspy voice replied.

Uriel jumped at the voice, looking around to find the source. He found it on the opposite side of the room, in the form of a specter rising out of the ground. Its form began to solidify until it became like a demon. A duel disk seemingly made of bone and decaying flesh was on its arm.

"Nice parlor tricks," Uriel said, "but if you think you're going to scare me off, think again."

"Who said anything about scaring you off?" The creature laughed. "You're not going anywhere." It waved a hand, and the door Uriel came through slammed shut. It also sounded like a bolt was slid into place, effectively locking it.

"Hey, what's the big idea?"

"There's only one way out of this room, now, and that's down the stairs behind me." It activated its duel disk. "Defeat me, and you may proceed. Lose, and your soul belongs to him."

"_Him?"_ Uriel asked skeptically. "And what is this about my soul belonging to him?"

"I'd worry more about this duel than about meeting him," the creature said. "Make it to the 100th level, and you may have your chance to meet him firsthand, though I doubt that will ever happen…"

Uriel shrugged, activating his duel disk. "Fine…if that's the kind of game you want to play…"

"…Then let's play…"

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The Israeli duelist's quest begins, and he quickly advances through the Trials. But what does he face, and what is the 'Him' being suggested by the guardian. Well, one may call it a "Dragon Zombie." Stay tuned to find out…


	2. Dragon Zombie

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**Chapter 2: Dragon Zombie**

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When he started his trek through the Pit, Uriel could not help but laugh.

The first opponent he faced was playing with nothing but 1-Star Normal Monsters (it played them all in attack mode on top of that), and there was no sign whatsoever of Magic and Trap Cards in its deck. Whoever guarded the first level was mowed over, to say the least. The following dozen or so levels were not any better, with each 'guardian,' as they were billing themselves, using the most basic cards and strategies. He cleared the first 20 levels in less than 2 hours.

But Uriel had noticed a particular trend: after each defeat, the guardian would cry out, seemingly 'vanish.' Then he would climb down another flight of stairs and find a door leading to the next "Level."

Based on his lopsided victories, he started to wonder if the 'lost souls' simply died of exhaustion from the extra exercise rather than losing in a duel. He tried to push these thoughts into the back of his mind as he worked his way forward.

He noticed another trend while dueling against the next 10 guardians. The decks, while still basic, were getting exponentially better. Even so, they were no match for the deck he had brought with him. Things started to become increasingly difficult starting with Level 31. Actual strategies were starting to pop up, with guardians using a variety of decks.

The most difficult guardian he faced at this point was at Level 50. A unique Rock deck was in use, focusing on monsters that could flip themselves face-down as well as face-up; they included the likes of Medusa Worm, Golem Sentry and Guardian Sphinx. Uriel didn't understand the point of it all…

…until Exodd, Master of the Guard was special-summoned.

Now every time an Earth monster was flipped face-up, he lost one thousand Life Points as a result of effect damage. None of his monsters had the power needed to break through the 4000 defense points of the Exodia-lookalike. It wasn't until he drew an Enemy Controller that he was able to turn the tide.

Level 60 was when the tribe decks began to pop up. The next 30 guardians were superb in their dueling techniques, and posed quite the challenge. Uriel saw Monarchs, D.D., Amazons, Dark World, Elemental and Destiny Heroes, even V-to-Z decks. They were powerful, but they were still no match for him.

The following nine guardians were the most talented and cunning of all. Uriel didn't know how, but these opponents were using decks of either the same Attribute or type that he himself had. One would think it would make figuring out their strategies relatively simple; but Uriel wondered if these guardians had the word spread to them, and thus were expecting him. How else could these…whoever they were, be toying with his mind?

But in the end, the supposed mind games and preparation didn't matter in the slightest for the ones guarding the treasure. After declaring a final direct attack, Uriel's monster depleted the rest of the 99th guardian's Life Points. The 'same man in another ridiculous costume' - as the boy dubbed him and every other opponent he faced in this Pit – fell to his knees as he laughed.

"Well done, boy, but it will not matter in the end. Once you meet him, your death and his freedom are all but assured!" He gave another cackle as he, like all the other guardians who fell before him, vanished.

It had taken close to 14 hours, not including periods of rest, but Uriel had been able to clear 99 Levels. Only one remained between him and the legendary treasure.

Being physically (and coming close to emotionally) exhausted, he took his sweet time down the final flight of stairs. His heart was pounding with excitement, his adrenaline racing more than any time in his life. He was so close to his goal he could almost taste it.

He could also see that these stairs went down for much longer than the rest. It was as if they were leading him into the pits of Hell itself. If it wasn't for the railing, it was likely he would have fallen over from exhaustion and dropped to his death. But he couldn't let that happen, nor could he stop. It wasn't long before he finally reached the bottom. Because of the darkness, he could not see anything around him. Considering the experiences from the past 99 rooms, he knew he couldn't expect much.

"Alright you blowhard," he called out. "I know you're hiding out there somewhere. Come on out so we can get this over with." When he didn't get a response, his next call was shouted. "HEY! I don't have all day!"

There was a loud noise, like a charge of dynamite going off. It shook the ground, nearly taking Uriel off his feet. Moments later, a second booming noise shook the room.

"_How nice…"_ A voice said out of the darkness. _"My first fresh meat in years…"_

Uriel didn't know what to make of that statement. Suddenly, in a flash, the cavern was lit by thousands of candles lining the walls. The area was much larger than he had anticipated – about as large as a soccer field. But his attention was transfixed on the creature in front of him.

It was well over 200 feet long and at least 50 feet high at the shoulder. He would have called it a dragon, with its large snout and long tail, but he didn't know. In fact, he didn't even know if it was alive. One could simply describe it as a gigantic skeleton of what was once a terrifying monster. There was no sign of skin or organs anywhere, yet this thing was standing as if it was alive. It stomped its front left foot, arced its head back, and gave an earth-shattering roar.

If he wasn't so dehydrated, Uriel probably would have wet himself.

"_Welcome, fleshling,"_ the voice called. It appeared to Uriel that the voice was coming from the skeletal monstrosity before him, even though the mouth wasn't moving and there were no vocal cords to make any form of verbal communication. _"You have reached Level 100 of the Pit of 100 Trials. This is where your journey, and your life, ends."_

Suddenly, the fear Uriel felt moments before seemed to vanish. This was the same old song and dance he had listened to throughout his trek. "And just who the hell are you?" He asked. "Either you're someone new, or you have a lot more in your bag of tricks than I thought."

The creature chuckled. _"You may call me Bonetail. I am the one the guardians have most likely warned you about. I was hoping they would have done a better job and defeated you, considering you're the last one I need. Then again, ensuring I'd be the one to do the deed will make it all the sweeter."_

"I'm the last one you need?" Uriel asked. "What are you talking about?"

"_So, the secret remained hidden after all this time. In that case, you should know that I'm not supposed to be down here. I should have been on the surface as its conqueror eons ago! Had it not been for my master and her magic, I would have been able to!"_

"Your master…you mean the Shadow Queen? You're her so-called pet?"

Bonetail seemed insulted by the remark and roared his disapproval_. "I was_ NOT_ her 'pet!' She called me her tool, her means of conquering the world once she was free to do so. She had no idea I had been planning my own little uprising!"_

Uriel gave a yawn. "Geez, I've read bad screenplays before, but this one takes the cake." Not wanting to spoil the monologue of whom he presumed to be the same dirty old packrat, he didn't say that out loud.

"_I am no mere feral creature. I am far too smart to be classified as such. I may have been savage with the live meals I was presented with, but I still have some decency, you know. I also have some magical abilities that could have worked wonders if I was free from the Shadow Queen's clutches. They were slowly but surely growing, and if I had more time to fine-tune my abilities, I would have succeeded in overpowering her and taking my rightful place as global conqueror._

"_Unfortunately, that harlot found me out. I don't know how, but she did. Needless to say, she was not happy with me. As punishment, she dumped me into this gods-forsaken dungeon and cast a curse on me. I was made physically weak, unable to force my way through the defenses she conjured up. The only way out was to fairly defeat 1000 humans, and afterwards consume their souls. But considering my condition at the time, and the fact she isolated me from everything, the Queen assumed I would die without consuming even a single soul._

"_She was partially right. My physical body passed on and rotted away, but I had learned to use self-necromancy shortly before I was ratted out and cursed. It allowed me to keep my soul intact, as well as the ability to control my now skeletal remains. The Queen was oblivious to this fact, and I remained quiet as I continued to hone my magic for the right moment._

"_Now, I'm sure you've heard all about the Monster Island tournament a quarter-century ago. In preparation for that event, the Shadow Queen gave all of her trusted servants an enchanted deck to so they could act as eliminators. I saw this as a possible opportunity, so I was able to magically transfer the essence of one deck from a servant passing by the entrance to my dungeon._

"_I knew it was a big risk, for using my magic caused the Shadow Queen to finally wise up to my presence. I doubt even she believed I could have been alive after all the eons I spent locked away. She must have realized that extra precautions needed to be taken in case anyone was cunning and stupid enough to break through the seal and set me free. She divided the dungeon into 100 levels, each with a spectral guardian armed with a Duel Monsters deck, each a bit more powerful than the last. That's how the term Pit of 100 Trials was coined."_

Well, that's a nice little back story," Uriel yawned, "but you still haven't answered my first question. "Why did you say I'm the last you need?"

"_I was getting to that!"_ Bonetail snapped. _"Now, where was I? Oh yes…once the Shadow Queen was defeated and banished, her magic sealing the Pit disappeared. I thought this meant the curse keeping me here was now null and void, but I found that was not the case. The curse was still up and running, and the requirements for my release still had to be fulfilled._

"_On the other hand, things began to shift in my favor. Starting about 20 years ago, I felt some of my spiritual energy return. It wasn't long before I discovered there was a loophole in the curse. I didn't necessarily have to be the one to defeat those individuals who challenged the Pit of 100 Trials. Because I myself was made a part of the Pit, and if a person lost to any of the guardians on their way through, I would still be able to consume their soul. What made it even better was the fact that rumors spread about a so-called treasure that was waiting for anyone to come and claim it. _

"_People have been challenging my domain for the past 20 years, but I can count on one foot the number of those have ever been able to make it all the way to the final Level. Let's just say their souls were the juiciest and tastiest of all. The 999th individual sacrificed his soul to me a month ago, and you're the lucky number 1000."_

Uriel had lost his patience. "Are you finished running your mouth?" He asked.

Bonetail didn't respond at first, but then he laughed. _"You don't believe a word I said, do you?"_

"Of course not," Uriel replied. "This is all some ploy to scare off anyone who made it down here so you can keep the treasure for yourself. I've come this far, and I'm not about to turn back now!"

"_No,"_ Bonetail said, raising his head, _"you won't."_ The beast spun around, forcing Uriel to dive for cover. His massive tail slammed into the staircase, causing it to collapse into a heap of stone and rubble.

"You're demented!" Uriel yelled when he realized what had happened.

"_You would be too if you were stuck down here for over 800 years!"_ Bonetail growled. _"Now, as much as I'd enjoy feasting on your soul right now, I can't. Not yet, anyway. I still need to defeat you in a 'fair competition;' in this case, a game of Duel Monsters. If you lose, your soul will be the thousandth I need to break the curse and start my life anew. If you somehow manage to win, the 'treasure' is yours."_

"About time," Uriel said, activating his duel disk. It's going to be a pleasure to finally put you out of your misery."

"_Talk your nonsense all you want, fleshling,"_ Bonetail snapped, _"but it will make no difference when I crush you!"_

"_Let's duel!"_

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The contest between Uriel and Bonetail begins. This truly will be a clash of titans, to say the least. But the monstrosity trapped within the Pit has some pent-up frustration to deal with, and is not about to take it easy on his challenger. Don't miss the next chapter, "Dragon's Rage."


	3. Dragon's Rage

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**Chapter 3: Dragon's Rage**

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"_Let's duel!"_ Both combatants shouted.

**Uriel: (8000)..............................Bonetail: (8000)**

"_Age before beauty, as they say,"_ Bonetail said, as spectral images of 5 cards appeared in front of him_,__ "so_ _I'll begin."_ A sixth emerged like the flame of a candle on the far right, indicating his first draw. Two of them disappeared as a pair of face-down cards took their place. "_I set two cards face-down, and then I'll call upon this!"_

Out of the shadows came a demon resembling that of the infamous Minotaur. It brandished a large mallet of sorts as it dug its hooves into the ground. (1700/800)

"_Meet Gozuki. Not the most sociable of monsters, but we're not exactly in a sociable mood right now."_

"Neither am I," Uriel snapped. "If you think I'm about to give up now, you've got another thing coming!"

Bonetail chuckled_. "We'll see about that. Now then, let's move on to Gozuki's effect. Once per turn while he's face-up on the field, I can send one Zombie-type monster from my deck to the Graveyard."_ Gozuki waved its hammer in a sort of sweeping motion. A few seconds later, a phantom image of a monster appeared in the air, screeching all the while, before diving into the ground in the middle of the playing field.

"_That'll do for now."_

"Then here I go!" Uriel made his draw and looked over the cards in his hand. _Hmm…nothing that can overpower that matador's worst nightmare… then again, I don't have to…_

"I summon Gellenduo!" In a flash of light, two sprites appeared; one was pink, the other green. Each had a large halo around its waist. (1700/0)

"Attack Gozuki, now!" The two sprites began to spin around, generating a ball of energy between them. With a pair of high-pitched squeaks, they fired the ball at their target.

"_Gozuki, counterattack!"_ Bonetail ordered. The minotaur whirled its hammer around to knock the energy attack away. However, it exploded on contact, taking Gozuki with it.

"_Impossible,"_ the demon thought out loud. _"That battle should have been a draw…"_

"It was," Uriel replied. "But Gellenduo's special effect keeps them from being destroyed in battle. So in the case of a draw, they'll win every time."

The twin fairies giggled, then pulled down their eyelids and blew a pair of raspberries at their adversary.

"_Clever,"_ Bonetail mused, _"but these little tricks won't save you in the end."_

"Whatever," the boy said, setting a card face-down. "End turn."

"_Then it's my draw."_ Another spectral card appeared, while the one next to it quickly vanished. _"I activate Card of Safe Return. As long as this card remains in play, any time a monster is revived from my Graveyard, I get to draw a card from my deck. Then I play Mystical Space Typhoon." _Even though there was no place for air to enter the cavern from above, the wind started to pick up_. "But you can relax. I'm planning to destroy not your face-down card, but one of my own."_ The card on Bonetail's right shattered.

"What?" Uriel exclaimed. "But why?"

"_Because it can only be activated when it's destroyed while face-down,"_ Bonetail explained. _"It's called Zombie Bed. Now I can special-summon a Zombie from my Graveyard. You remember Gozuki, don't you?"_ Gellenduo squeaked in fear as the minotaur demon reemerged, clearly angry with the pixies.

"Gee, how could I forget?" Uriel said sarcastically.

"_Your tone will change in a minute. But first, thanks to Card of Safe Return, since Gozuki came back from the Graveyard, I get to draw a new card."_ Another spectral card appeared.

"_Now I'll make use of Gozuki's effect once again."_ Gozuki waved his hammer again, and another ghostly figure appeared in the air, diving into the ground.

"_Next on the agenda is a creature called Zombie Master."_ The newly-summoned monster could have easily passed as a grade-school boy, if it weren't for his ash-gray skin, sewn-up limbs and tattered cloak. (1800/0)

_"Now I activate his special effect. By discarding a monster from my hand, I can revive a Level 4 or lower Zombie from the Graveyard, so long as there's already a legal target there. So I'll get rid of this…"_ Uriel didn't know what card was discarded, but he felt a chill in the air when it was. _"…and bring it right back!"_ In a flash of dark light, a skeletal figure emerged wrapped in a purple cloak. It knelt down in defense mode. (300/200)

"Skull Servant?!" Uriel said. "Why would something like you bring out a monster that weak?"

"_I have my reasons,"_ Bonetail replied, drawing from his deck thanks to Card of Safe Return, _"mainly for my other facedown card."_ The other facedown lifted up to reveal a Quick-play Magic Card. _"Inferno Reckless Summon! Since I brought out a weak monster while you have at least 1 monster in play, I'm allowed to special-summon as many copies of that card from my hand, deck, and Graveyard as possible."_ In an instant, two more Skull Servants emerged on either side of the first, both of them crouching in defense position.

"_Of course, you can now do the same with your monster, if you even have another copy."_

Uriel searched through his deck before placing a card on to the field. "As a matter of fact," he said, "I do." A second Gellenduo appeared, and it and the first began to dance together, laughing all the while.

"_What a pathetic display. They won't be laughing for long, not while Zombie Master has them in his sights!"_ The child zombie shot a blast of purple lighting from his hands, striking one of the Gellenduo. Both pairs suddenly gave high-pitched screeches as they exploded.

**Uriel: (7900)****..............................****Bonetail: (8000)**

Uriel grunted as he was forced back. "Damn it…if I take Life Point damage, Gellenduo is destroyed…"

"_That's good to know,"_ Bonetail said, _"because now I'm free to hit you directly! Gozuki, attack!"_ The minotaur charged, swinging its hammer.

"Hold on!" Uriel exclaimed, his facedown card lifting up. "I chain Call of the Haunted! Gellenduo, return!" One of the pairs of sprites reappeared, giggling as if to mock the demon.

Bonetail gave a sigh, calling off Gozuki's attack. _"Fine, you survive that round. End turn."_

Uriel made his draw, thinking over his options. _Ok…he's got a stacked field, but this should at least help me clear it…_

"I summon Asura Priest!" A blue-skinned monster resembling a Hindu god appeared. It had three faces, and twice as many arms. (1700/1200) "A bit strange looking, I know, but he's able to attack all monsters on your field once each."

"_Fine,"_ Bonetail chuckled. _"Feel free to attack into Zombie Master. Your new monster will lose the battle regardless."_

"Have patience," Uriel said, "but first thing's first. Gellenduo would like to give an encore!" The twin fairies charged towards Gozuki. Gozuki swung its hammer, but the fairies dodged it easily, slamming into the minotaur demon. Gozuki burst into shards, while Gellenduo raced back to its master with big grins on their faces.

"Now, Asura Priest, it's your turn!" Daggers materialized in each of the Spirit monster's six hands, and it threw them at the Skull Servants and Zombie Master.

"_You fool!" _Bonetail yelled._ "You'll lose your monster that way!"_

"Not if I cut your Zombie Master down to size!" He quickly activated a Quick-play Magic card from his hand. "Go, Shrink!" Dark energy surrounded the child Zombie as its attack power dropped by half. (900/0) The daggers streaked through the air, embedding themselves into the skulls of each of the remaining zombies in play. All four of the monsters shattered.

**Uriel: (7900)****..............................****Bonetail: (7200)**

"I'll end with a face-down card." Uriel set a card before wiping his brow. "And since Asura Priest is a Spirit monster, he's forced to return to my hand." The six-armed being turned into particles of light, then disappeared from the field.

The boy was hoping to hear growling from his opponent, but instead, the air was filled with quiet laughter.

"_Not bad,"_ Bonetail said, seemingly grinning. _"You are certainly putting up a far more interesting fight than the past 999 victims who have dared to come down here. But unfortunately, you've fallen right into my hand."_

Uriel raised an eyebrow in skepticism. "What are you talking about?"

"_Allow me to demonstrate,"_ the demon called, as the ground before him cracked open. Violet-colored flames erupted from the crevice as a zombie monster emerged. It looked like one of the Skull Servants that had been destroyed moments before. But this one was taller, its bones much thicker and stronger. An eerie red glow was being emitted from its skull. _"Behold, King of the Skull Servants!"_ (?/0)

The Monster let out a laugh that sent a chill down Uriel's spine - until he noticed something odd. "Wait a minute…that thing doesn't have any attack points."

"_Not right away,"_ Bonetail replied. _"Right now it is busy channeling energy from its servants…Skull Servants, that is. You see, for each copy of Skull Servant and King of the Skull Servants in my Graveyard, the King on my field gains 1000 attack points."_ Uriel gasped, taking a step back. _"Has it sunk in, yet? You've given me the chance of a lifetime!"_ The Zombie skeleton cackled as it absorbed dark energy from the open crevice, its attack power shooting up. (3000/0).

"_Now, King of the Skull Servants - put those annoying little pixies back where they belong!"_ The Skull Servant King pulled out a pair of skulls from within its robes. As they were lit aflame, it threw them at the freaking-out Gellenduo.

"Not so fast! I use Negate Attack!" Uriel activated his Trap card just in time, and a spiraling barrier of violet energy emerged, sucking up the flaming skulls before they could harm the Fairy. Gellenduo gave twin sighs of relief.

"_Persistent little bug,"_ Bonetail groaned. _"I end my turn."_

Uriel could feel his legs shaking as he drew his next card. Looking at it, his face fell. _Great, __nothing that comes close to matching that thing's Attack power. What now?_

"Guess I don't have much of a choice. I switch Gellenduo to defense mode." The two fairies hugged each other in fright as the menacing zombie stared back at them. "Nothing else I can do."

"_Excellent,"_ Bonetail said, _"then it's my move."_ Another spectral card appeared in the air, and the demon's eyes seemed to narrow. _"Looks like you get off easy this time. Although…"_ King of the Skull Servants pulled out another skull from its robes_. "I may not be able to destroy your pathetic little pieces of confetti, but my monster can still attack them!"_ His Zombie tossed its flaming skull like a fastball, the bones colliding with Gellenduo. They fell to the ground, crying out a flood of tears.

"You're nuts!" Uriel yelled. "You get enjoyment out of this sort of thing, don't you?!"

"_Why yes, I do,"_ Bonetail replied. _"It's a hobby of mine. The Shadow Queen would allow me to toy with my meals however and for as long as I pleased. If I didn't like them, they'd be dead quickly. If they made me fill up with joy inside, they'd last a good while longer. And as much as I'd love to give you the same treatment, I'm afraid I've been trapped down here for far too long. Your death will be quick and painless so I can finally leave this place and claim the world as my own."_

"Will you shut up already?" Uriel snapped. "And do me a favor and cut the crap about 'escaping' and 'wanting to suck up my soul.' You're not fooling me with that giant robot and holograms. Besides, I'm still able to fight back!"

"_Fool. Your ignorance will be your downfall. And how can you fight back when you can't even properly defend yourself from my monster?"_ King of the Skull Servants crossed its arms and gave a chuckle. _"I'll end my turn by summoning Goblin Zombie in attack mode."_ A strange goblin-like creature in skeletal armor appeared, brandishing a scimitar. (1100/1050)

_He's trying to draw me out by summoning a weak monster_, Uriel thought to himself. He saw Gellenduo slowly float back up, their bodies appearing to be aching. _But I can't risk it, not while that other pile of bones is still waiting in the wings. Wait, of course, the answer's right in front of me! _"Hang in there, you two," he said out loud. The Fairies gave squeaks of encouragement as he drew for his turn.

"Asura Priest, you're back on deck!" The Spirit monster reemerged, bringing out another set of daggers. "I may not be able to destroy your King," Uriel announced, "but I _can _destroy that Goblin Zombie! Attack!" Asura Priest threw its daggers, and the weapons stabbed into the flesh of the weaker zombie monster. It shattered into triangles.

**Uriel: (7900)****..............................****Bonetail: (6600)**

"_Thank you,"_ Bonetail said_. "Now I can activate Goblin Zombie's special ability. When it's sent to the Graveyard, I can pull out another Zombie Monster from my deck, so long as it has 1200 defense points or less."_ Another flaming card appeared in from of the demon_. "And considering most of my monsters fit the bill, that won't be much of an issue."_

"Fine, see if I give a damn," Uriel said. "That's all I can do for now." Asura Priest disappeared, returning to Uriel's hand.

"_Very well,"_ Bonetail called, as another card appeared. It quickly vanished, however. _"I activate Book of Life, which lets me revive a Zombie Monster from my Graveyard, and at the same time remove a monster from yours." _Another part of the arena floor crumbled, and Zombie Master jumped out, dusting itself off.

"_And since that Tinkerbell wannabe has a twin in the Graveyard, I'm sure it'll be heartbroken when it gets sent into oblivion."_ Gellenduo cried out as its counterpart was ripped out of the Graveyard, its life force extinguished.

"You're going to regret that," Uriel snarled.

"_I'm sure I will,"_ Bonetail said sarcastically, drawing a new card due to Card of Safe Return. _"Next I'll use Zombie Master's effect. I'll discard this…"_ The card he searched for was ditched_. "…and bring back a monster who just hates to say goodbye."_ Gozuki leapt out of the hole Zombie Master came out of.

"Damn it, not that thing again…" Uriel groaned.

"_Yes, again! And again!"_ Another card was drawn. _"And I discarded another copy of King of the Skull Servants, meaning the King of my field becomes even stronger!"_ The King's attack shot up to 4000. _"And to add further insult to injury, I'll use Gozuki's effect to send my third copy of King of the Skull Servants to the Graveyard!"_ Bonetail laughed as another spectral form dipped into the earth and his monster's power jumped up again. (5000/0)

"_Since attacking your monster would be pointless, I'll just have to destroy it some other way. I play Strike of the Undead!"_ Another flaming card vanished, replaced by purple lightning striking various parts of the cavern.

"_I can only activate it when I have at least three Zombie-type monsters in play. By giving up my Battle Phase for the turn, I can destroy all monsters on your field!"_

"No!" Uriel yelled.

"_Yes,"_ Bonetail laughed. _"Farewell, pixie!"_ Gellenduo let out a high-pitched squeak before it was struck by the lightning. It was destroyed upon impact.

"_Be thankful I can't end this here and now. I'll end my turn with a card face-down."_ A face-down card appeared behind the undead armada. _"Just _try _and break through!"_

_Not good, not good_, Uriel thought to himself. _I'm not drawing anything, and I've come too far to give up right now. _He put two fingers to his deck. _Come on…give me something to work with… _He drew, relieved at what he had. _This'll help…_

_Feel free to try and destroy my King with a Magic or Trap card, _Bonetail thought. _My Tutan Mask will negate your effect, and you'll be left with nothing…_

"I play Graceful Charity!" Uriel announced, as the majestic angel materialized on his field, showering his deck with feathers. "I'm sure you don't need an explanation for that card."

Shutting his eyes, he drew his three cards. He opened them slowly, having a look at what he had drawn. Outside, he didn't show anything, but inside he was shocked. The first two were key cards in his deck, but the third was new. He quickly recognized it as one of the two cards the cloaked stranger had given him. It would most certainly help him turn the duel around, but it would mean taking a big risk, something he wasn't sure would work out in the end.

He gave a sigh as he discarded two of the other cards in his hand._ Well, I've been in situations just as bad. It can't hurt to go for broke one last time. Let's take this new card out for a spin…_

"I call upon a sanctuary in which warriors of light thrive! Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen!" The dampness of the cave vanished, and a new arena emerged around the two opponents. They were surrounded by huge columns wrapped in vines. Behind Uriel were two statues of what appeared to be Norse Gods, seemingly guarding a throne.

"This place is sacred for all true warriors. Here is where their souls are taken after their last glorious battle. As for me, it lets me special-summon a Fairy-type from my hand once per turn, so long as I don't control any other monsters. With that, I call upon Athena!"

With those words, a tall, slim woman with bright blue eyes emerged from behind one of the columns. She was a near-perfect depiction of the Greek goddess of wisdom, wearing flowing white robes, armor, and trademark helmet. She carried a large shield in one hand, and a pike in the other. (2600/800)

"_Impressive,"_ Bonetail mused, _"most impressive."_

"You think you like her now. Just wait until she attacks! Athena, destroy Gozuki!" The goddess seemingly vanished into thin air. The minotaur demon looked around, trying to figure out where the Fairy-type had gone. She reappeared right behind it, impaling it through the back with her pike. The demon gave a loud grunt before shattering. Athena jumped over the other zombies and landed on the opposite side of the field next to Uriel.

**Uriel: (7900)****..............................****Bonetail: (5700)**

"Moving on, I set a monster in defense mode." Uriel shut his eyes as he set the monster on his disk. There was a long pause before the boy sighed and said "end turn."

The dragon demon growled as another card appeared before him, but then laughed at the card he saw.

"_I equip King of the Skull Servants with Axe of Despair!"_ A demonic axe appeared in the skeletal zombie's grip. He cackled as his attack power went up even higher. (6000/0)

"_Prepare for your demise! I activate Double Attack! This card allows one of my monsters to attack twice this round, so long as I discard a monster with a higher level – and since my King is Level 1, that will not be a problem at all."_ Uriel's eyes widened with horror. _"So I'll discard my Level 8 Despair from the Dark, and my King of the Skull Servants is now free to help me put an end to you!"_

"_First, Zombie Master, attack his face-down monster!"_ The child zombie shot a blast of lightning as Asura Priest appeared on the face-down card. The Fairy monster was obliterated.

"_I've been waiting for this moment for eons…"_ Bonetail said in a dark voice. _"King of the Skull Servants, send that sad excuse for a goddess packing!"_ The King gave a truly evil laugh as it hurled another pair of fiery skulls. Athena held up her shield to hold her ground, but it would not be enough. The skulls impacted on her shield, creating a massive explosion. Uriel cried out as the flames burned Athena to ash, and he felt his exposed skin burning up for some reason.

**Uriel: (4500)****..............................****Bonetail: (5700)**

Bonetail laughed. _"You're finished, fleshling! Attack again!"_ King of the Skull Servants prepared to hurl another skull…

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_It doesn't look good for Uriel. What was he thinking? Perhaps he has a trick up his sleeve to get him out of this mess. Even if he does, there's no telling what else Bonetail has in store. You'll have to find out in the next chapter, "Backs to the Wall."_


	4. Backs to the Wall

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**Chapter 4: Backs to the Wall**

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Uriel was burning, and he knew that Bonetail's King of the Skull Servants had another attack. He had to react to it now, or it was all over for him…

"Hold on!" Uriel yelled through the fire. "Since I lost both of my monsters this Battle Phase, I can special-summon THIS!" A bright light shot out of the ground, and a miraculous sight to behold emerged from it. It was a new, stronger Fairy, with silver armor and curved arms. Its armor was adorned with glowing yellow orbs. "Say hello to my little friend! I call her Tualatin!" (2800/2500)

"_I don't care _what_ you call that thing!"_ Bonetail growled. _"My monster can still overpower it!"_

"No, it can't," Uriel replied, "not when Tualatin's effect kicks in. Because I special-summoned her after Athena and Asura Priest were destroyed as a result of battle, she can now destroy all face-up monsters on the field of any one Attribute I choose." King of the Skull Servants' jaw dropped as it gasped, and the mandible fell to the ground. Zombie Master cringed in fear.

"It looks like they've got the picture. I choose DARK!" The orbs on Tualatin's armor glowed even brighter, and streams of energy shot out from them. The blasts impacted into Zombie Master and King of the Skull Servants as they let out unholy screeches of death. Moments later, both monsters were incinerated.

"NO!" Bonetail howled. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Serves you right," Uriel snapped, biting down the pain he was feeling. The duel was taking a heavy toll on both his body and mind. He wasn't sure how much more he could take. "And before I forget…as long as Tualatin remains in play, you are not allowed to bring out monsters of the Attribute I called. So unless you run anything besides Dark monsters, you're out of luck. And since you've used up the rest of your hand, I'll make my next move!"

Bonetail snarled. _I won't let it end like this_, he thought to himself. _I will not be defeated by this worm!_

"Draw!" Uriel drew, but didn't bother to look at the card. His focus was directed right at the monster before him. "Tualatin, attack him directly!"

Tualatin unleashed another volley of energy, and Bonetail roared in pain as it struck him in the face.

**Uriel: (4500)****..............................****Bonetail: (2900)**

"Not so tough now, are you?" Uriel began to brag. "Maybe you aren't as dangerous as that woman said you were, after all."

"_Silence you worthless bag of meat!"_ Bonetail exclaimed, as small cracks began to form on his skeletal snout. _"You will regret ever mocking me!"_

"Whatever," the boy said, rolling his eyes. "If you weren't in that giant robot of yours, I'd probably be slapping you silly right about now."

The demon continued to growl. _Keep talking, _he thought to himself. _Once I draw my trump card, it will be a pleasure to silence you for good…_ _"Are you finished?"_

Uriel smirked as he looked at the card had drawn for his turn. "Actually, no I'm not. I play Soul Absorption! As long as this remains in play, I gain 500 Life Points each time a card is removed from the game, starting now!"

"Now?" Bonetail asked. "Seems a little too soon, don't you think?"

"It's a little too soon for a sham like you, maybe. You liked removing Gellenduo from play? Well, I'll enjoy removing _your_ monsters even more! I activate Soul Release!" The lights behind him became brighter, and another goddess appeared in the air.

"This lets me remove up to five cards from either Graveyard from the game. And I have plenty to choose from in yours!" Spectral images of Zombie Master, Goblin Zombie and all three King of the Skull Servants shot out of the ground. They screeched as the goddess hit them with a beam of energy from an open hand. The zombies were wiped out. "And remember, I gain 500 Life Points for _each_ card removed thanks to Soul Absorption." He gave a content sigh as he felt the healing waves of his continuous Magic Card took effect. His Life Points skyrocketed.

**Uriel: (7000)****..............................****Bonetail: (2900)**

"_Now _I end my turn." Uriel proclaimed.

Bonetail made his draw, but immediately played the card. _"I activate Card of Demise!"_ A large guillotine appeared next to him, a deck of cards positioned where the victim's head and neck would be. Five strands of rope held the blade in place. "_This lets me draw until I'm holding five cards. During the standby phase of the fifth turn after this card has been played, I'll be forced to discard my hand."_ Five new cards of fire burned into life in front of him.

"_Since I can't normal-summon anything thanks to that accursed fairy of yours, I'll set a monster. I also set this..."_ Two face-down cards appeared. _"End turn."_

"Then look out!" Uriel exclaimed, drawing a card. "Tualatin, attack his face-down monster!" Tualatin charged up another blast of energy and fired. A turtle-like creature with a golden pyramid in place of a shell emerged (1200/1400), and it was quickly struck down by the attack.

"_Thank you,"_ Bonetail said. "_Not only can I activate the special ability of my Pyramid Turtle, I can also chain this!" _His recently-set Trap card flipped up. _"It's called Michizure. When one of my monsters is sent from the field to the graveyard, you lose one of your monsters, as well!"_ A pair of ghostly hands shot out of the ground and grabbed Tualatin, pulling her under.

"No!" Uriel exclaimed.

"_So much for her," _the demon replied. _"Now, thanks to Pyramid Turtle's effect, I can now call upon a Zombie monster with 2000 defense points or less. Ryu Kokki, come forth!"_ Something else came out of the ground. It was an ogre-like creature, its outer body skeletal and dry. Its massive maw opened wide, acid-like saliva drooling out. (2400/2000)

"Ugh…these things keep getting uglier and uglier," Uriel said to no one in particular.

"_Please…my monsters take those sorts of statements as compliments,"_ Bonetail replied. _"So what are you going to do, now?"_

Uriel groaned, activating the only card in his hand. "Pot of Greed activates." After drawing two cards, he looked over what he had. His Field Spell slot of his disk opened as he placed one of the cards inside. "Next I activate The Sanctuary in the Sky!" A doorway seemed to appear behind Valhalla's throne, and outside there was a Parthenon-like building floating amongst a multitude of clouds. A bright light from the building seemed to filter into the dungeon as the card came into effect. "As long as this remains in play, any damage I take when a Fairy monster battles is reduced to zero."

"_Then I'll just have to ensure you don't have any fairies out,"_ Bontail mused.

"You do that. Now, since my monster zone is empty again, I'll use Valhalla's effect to special summon Nova Summoner in defense mode." A new Fairy monster resembling an orange wreath appeared. It had wings on its back, and a green ribbon wrapped around it. (1400/800) "End turn."

Bonetail laughed as he made his draw. One of the five ropes on the guillotine broke. _"This is just what I want to see - my prey on the defensive, and one little monster ready for the gallows. But first thing's first…"_ He played another card. _"I activate another Book of Life, and then chain Emergency Provisions from my hand to its activation." _The Book of Life and Bonetail's face-down Tutan Mask vanished. _"Thanks to Emergency Provisions, I gain 1000 Life Points for each Magic and Trap card sent to the graveyard by its effect."_

**Uriel: (7000)****..............................****Bonetail: (4900)**

"_And now, back to the effect of Book of Life. I'll use it to revive my Despair from the Dark!"_ A creature even larger than Ryu Kokki appeared, its features hidden by the black and red energy that made up its being. It cackled as it raised its arms in anticipation. (2800/3000) Bonetail drew due to Card of Safe Return as he looked over his options for the second effect. _"Since I don't want you using that zombie-killer again, I'll remove your Tualatin from play!"_ Like the Gellenduo earlier, a spectral image of Tualatin was ripped out of the ground, its being quickly extinguished.

"You forgot about Soul Absorption," Uriel said as the card took effect again. "Tualatin may have been removed, but I gain 500 Life Points as a result."

**Uriel: (7500)****..............................****Bonetail: (4900)**

"_I don't really care at this point," _Bonetail mused._ "I have places to be, a world to conquer. Ryu Kokki, attack his Nova Summoner!"_ The ogre zombie spit out a spray of acid, which immediately melted the Fairy from existence.

Uriel instinctively jumped back as some of the acid hit the ground in front of him. "I activate Nova Summoner's effect, which works kind of like your Pyramid Turtle's. I can now special-summon another Light-type Fairy monster from my deck, so long as its attack power is 1500 or less. And unfortunately for you, I have another copy of it." A second Nova Summoner emerged in defense mode.

"_No matter,"_ Bonetail proclaimed. _"Despair from the Dark, attack his newest defender!"_ The red and black specter swung a mighty arm, swatting the Nova Summoner away. It hit the dungeon wall with a loud smack, shattering on impact.

"Nova Summoner has an alternate effect," Uriel explained. "If I have Sanctuary in the Sky in play, I can bring out a specific monster from my deck instead of the usual search. In this case, I special-summon Airknight Parshath!" Uriel's newest monster made its appearance. It was a centaur-like creature, with two pairs of wings, blue and gold armor, and a long sword. (1900/1400)

"_A minor annoyance,"_ Bonetail said. _"I end my turn."_

Uriel drew a card, smirking as he saw what it was.

"You've been cooped up so long," he commented, "I doubt you will be able to understand what I'm about to do."

"Oh really?" Bonetail said, clearly not buying it.

"Yes, really," Uriel replied. "I summon Herald of Orange Light!" In a flash, a peculiar fairy emerged. It looked like a giant piece of amber clad in white armor with gold lining. Two spindly arms stuck out of the bottom, while a pair of wings with orange feathers was on its back. (300/500)

"How would I not be able to understand you summoning a pathetic monster to the field?" Bonetail asked.

"What you may not get is that this little guy is a Tuner monster," Uriel said in reply.

"A Tuner?" Bonetail exclaimed. "I've heard about them, but I've never seen them in action. My past victims either didn't play them or didn't draw them during their defeats."

"Guess that makes me even more special for you," Uriel replied. "Now then, this little guy is about to give Airknight Parshath a tune-up!"

Herald of Orange Light flapped its wings, then seemed to vanish, replaced by two glowing white stars. They each formed a ring of light and zipped over to the remaining Fairy monster. Airknight Parshath became transparent as he vanished the same way as the previous monster, but this time becoming 5 glowing stars. A column of light erupted from the ground, absorbing the seven stars as a new creature made its presence known.

"Meet my ultimate beast," Uriel called, "Ancient Sacred Wyvern!" This new monster was a large white serpentine dragon of sorts, with a striped black pattern tattooed down its back and legs. It had a long flowing mane of yellow hair, while a pair of red horns was on its head. It gave a screech as it extended its large bat-like wings. (2100/2000)

"_A unique entrance,"_ Bonetail said, _"but I'd hardly call it your ultimate monster. Its attack power doesn't hold a candle to either of mine."_ Ryu Kokki and Despair from the Dark seemed to cackle in anticipation.

"Not at the moment," Uriel replied, "but that's where its special ability kicks in. When my Life Points are greater than yours, my Synchro monster's attack is increased by the difference. _Now_ do you see why I've been using Soul Absorption?" Bonetail gave a gasp as the Wyvern's attack shot up to 4700. "Ancient Sacred Wyvern, attack Ryu Kokki!" The dragon-like beast charged up energy in its mouth, then fired it in the form of a white ball crackling with electricity. The strength of the attack was so immense that the Zombie was vaporized before it even came into contact with it.

**Uriel: (7500)****..............................****Bonetail: (2600)**

"It won't be long now," Uriel said to himself, as his Wyvern's attack skyrocketed up to 7000. He could hardly wait to obtain his treasure. At the rate the duel was going, victory was all but assured. "I'll end my turn at that."

Bonetail was now in an awkward situation. He had not expected his final soul to have this much fight left in him. Just a turn ago he had the advantage, but now he was once again on the ropes. He had to do something to stop his enemy's charge, but he didn't have what he needed in his hand_. _

"_I draw,"_ Bonetail said, drawing for his turn. The second rope of the guillotine snapped. _"I set a card face-down, then switch Despair from the Dark to defense mode,"_ he announced. As a set card appeared, the zombie behemoth crossed its arms in front of it, seemingly groaning at the thought of having to back away from the onslaught. _"Make your move."_

Uriel drew a card, but immediately played it. "I keep running into Pots for some reason. This time it's Pot of Avarice." He gathered up Asura Priest, both of his Nova Summoners, Airknight Parshath, and Herald of Orange Light from his Graveyard, and then shuffled them back into his deck. He drew two cards afterward.

He didn't focus on what he had drawn, since he had bigger fish to fry at this point in time. "Wyvern, attack Despair from the Dark!" The dragon fired another ball of white energy. The zombie was obliterated as Ryu Kokki was the previous turn.

"Ah well, parting is such sweet sorrow," Bonetail said.

Uriel returned his gaze to the two cards in his hand. The first one was best saved for later, while the other was situational, at best. He figured it wouldn't hurt to have it out, at least. "I set a card face-down and end my turn."

Bonetail made his draw, and there was a long pause after Card of Demise's third rope was cut. The boy didn't know it, but the demon would have been smiling at that moment. The quiet, still air was soon filled with hearty laughter from the monster.

"Hey, what's so funny?" Uriel asked.

"_What's funny is the fact that victory has been handed to me on a silver platter!"_ The demon laughed. _"It'll be a pleasure consuming that rebellious soul of yours."_

"Shut up!" The boy exclaimed. "I'm sick and tired of this made-up BS about souls being taken. Even if you're telling the truth, which you're not, there's no way you could have the win!"

"_No? This move will prove you wrong."_ Behind him, a phantom image of a zombie monster appeared. At first Uriel thought it was Gozuki, but this one was different. This zombie had the features of a horse, and it wielded a battle axe. _"This is Mezuki, and I'll be using his special ability."_

"Mezuki?" Uriel asked. "Hang on…I don't remember seeing him during the duel…"

"_Of course you don't,"_ Bonetail replied. _"That's because I sent him from my deck to the Graveyard on my very first turn. Or do you not remember?"_

Uriel's face paled. "No…you sent it there with Gozuki's effect…"

"_Give the boy a reward! A one-way trip to oblivion! By removing Mezuki from my Graveyard, I can revive any Zombie I choose, and I think I'll choose the one I sent to the Graveyard on my _second_turn. Behold, Il Blud!"_ As Bonetail gained a new card through Card of Safe Return, a larger, far more grotesque zombie donning chains emerged. Its wide striped girth was only matched by its sheer height. Its chest cavity opened like the zipper on a coat, and a larger, scarier face with bulging eyes made itself known, shrieking maniacally all the while. Uriel nearly leapt in the air in fright. (2100/800)

"_Il Blud is not like most Effect monsters. Since it's a Gemini monster, it has no abilities unless I give up my normal-summon for the turn. I'll do that right now."_ Il Blud started to glow with black energy. _"Now I'm free to activate his effect, which lets me revive yet another Zombie from the Graveyard. Despair from the Dark, welcome back."_ While Bonetail drew another card, the red and black zombie reemerged, its expression clearly one of pure rage.

"_I'm far from finished! I reveal my own Call of the Haunted, and I'll use it to revive Ryu Kokki!"_ The ogre zombie reappeared, hissing all the while.

"Fine, keep bringing out monsters," Uriel said. "See if I care! None of them are strong enough to beat my Wyvern!"

"_I told you,"_ Bonetail snapped, drawing yet another card, _"this game is over. Thanks to your over enthusiasm in using Soul Release, and with the revival of these behemoths, the scene has been set for your defeat! Right now I have exactly three Dark-type monsters in my Graveyard, which is the condition to summon _my_ ultimate monster!"_ Black lightning struck the ground above them, but Uriel could clearly feel its power from all the way down below.

"ARISE! **DARK ARMED DRAGON!"**

Black energy crackled everywhere, eventually forming up into a massive black orb. It began to pull bones, rocks and sand into it as if it were a black hole. From this portal, a terrifying sight emerged. Uriel had seen a dragon similar to this new creature used in the local tournaments he had been a part of. It looked like Armed Dragon LV7, but there were some sharp contrasts. The armor on this beast was shiny-black, while its skin was a dark green. Its blood-red eyes showed nothing but malice. Its drill-like protrusions whirred to life as it gave an earth-shattering roar. (2800/1000)

"BEHOLD," Bonetail roared, "THE INSTRUMENT OF YOUR DESTRUCTION! _For each Dark-type monsters I remove from my Graveyard, my ultimate weapon can destroy a card on the field!"_ All three of his Skull Servants gave shrieks of terror as they shot out of the ground and were quickly absorbed by Dark Armed Dragon.

"I've had just about enough of your Soul Absorption, so it will be the first to go!" Dark Armed Dragon breathed out a black fireball, destroying the Continuous Magic card. Since it left the field before the beast's effect resolved, Uriel wouldn't be gaining any more Life Points.

"Next in line is your Sanctuary in the Sky!" Dark Armed shot off another fireball, this one screaming through the open doorway and obliterating the Parthenon outside. Its brilliant light dissipated, the dungeon plunging back into darkness.

"Last, and certainly least, is your so-called ultimate beast!" The doppelganger unleashed its third volley, the fireball striking Ancient Sacred Wyvern. It screeched in pain as it was destroyed.

"_You're finished! Your Life Points will be decimated by this onslaught! _ALL OF YOU ATTACK HIM DIRECTLY AND **END THIS DUEL!"** All four of Bonetail's monsters simultaneously unleashed their respective attacks on the boy as the demon watched on, confident that his imprisonment was over.

Uriel looked on, but quickly remembered his face-down card. As he went to activate it, the attacks hit him all at once, resulting in a massive explosion.

Bonetail cackled as smoke and debris filled the room. When it began to clear, he saw Uriel was face-down on the ground, not moving…

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_Is this duel really over? Has Bonetail been able to claim his 1000th soul? What will happen to the world if this is true? You'll have to find out in the next chapter, "Light of Judgment." Don't miss it…_


	5. Light of Judgment

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**Chapter 5: Light of Judgment**

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"_Uriel…"_

Uriel barely heard his name being called, and he wasn't able to respond at first. His body was aching like crazy.

_Damn it all_, the boy thought to himself. _That took more out of me than I thought…I can barely move…whoever this guy is, he's fighting as if his life depended on it… _

"_Uriel…open your eyes…"_

He slowly complied, but quickly shut his eyes due to the brightness.

When he finally got used to the light, he was dumbstruck at what he saw. White smoke flowed beneath him, while large clouds floated above him.

"Where am I?" The last thing he remembered was being attacked by all four of Bonetail's monsters. With the force they generated, did that mean…

"Is this…heaven? Am I…dead?"

"_If you keep acting the way you are, you might very well be soon…"_

Uriel looked around to find the source of the voice, but it soon made itself visible to him. Someone appeared out of the blinding light and stepped forward. The boy was shocked to see who it was.

"…Mom…is that you?"

"_Yes…and no,"_ the woman replied. _"What you are experiencing at this moment is merely a figment of your hopes and dreams. You wanted so badly to find a way of bringing your parents back to life that you've been blinded from the truth."_

"What truth?"

"_That coming to Monster Island was a mistake. You were wasting your time chasing a nonexistent goal, and now the fate of the world has become a burden on your shoulders."_

Uriel could not believe what he was hearing. "You're wrong…there is no 'fate of the world.' There is no 'evil force.' All this hocus-pocus about souls being taken is nonsense! This Bonetail is nothing more than an egotistical conman trying to keep that treasure from everyone else!"

"_Will you listen to yourself?!" _The woman snapped._ "This is exactly what I was talking about! No son of mine was ever this greedy or heartless in anything he's done. I thought you loved life as it was…"_

"I…used to…" Uriel replied. "I loved this game…I enjoyed life… but that was before you and dad died. I've lost almost all hope for anything remotely considered normal life. If this treasure can change my life for the better, then I'm willing to do whatever it takes to claim it."

"_But Uriel, your quest into this murderous pit is not the answer. In fact, there is no answer. There is no power that can reverse events or revive the dead. Your desperation has driven you within an inch of your life…and death for the rest of the world."_

"What are you talking about?" Uriel asked.

"_Bonetail is no mortal,"_ the woman answered. _"He is a ruthless demon hell-bent on conquering everything before him. His power was rightfully sealed away centuries ago, but now he is on the verge of breaking through. You're now the only one who stands in the way between him and Armageddon."_

Uriel's thoughts turned to the warnings he had been given by the cloaked stranger. "So… everything that woman told me was the truth…Bonetail is the great peril she was talking about?"

His mother nodded. _"If you lose, you really will be dead…Bonetail will escape, and the whole world will be destroyed…"_

The boy fell to his knees, his eyes beginning to tear up. "No…this can't be real…I only wanted to return my life back to the way it was…to turn it back to normal…I'm no hero…I can't beat this thing…why does everything bad happen to me?!" He nearly broke down into sobs.

"_Uriel…"_ The woman knelt before him and wrapped her arms around him in a soothing embrace. _"Remain strong. It is not over yet. This is the opportunity you need to clear your mind and soul of the darkness that is consuming you. You still have a chance to redeem yourself, my son…not just in this duel, but in life." _

Uriel looked up, wiping a cheek. "…The pain……why do I still feel it?"

"_Pain of loss is meant to stay with you for a while,"_ the woman replied. _"But that there are others who carry the same sadness and burdens, if not more. Once this is over, you need to put the past behind you and take charge of your life. You must be able to move on and not let your pain and ill feelings guide you in the wrong direction…otherwise the darkness will take over completely, and you may never recover."_

The boy stood up, a new wave of confidence flowing through him. "I will do my best. Thanks, mom, for everything."

The woman chuckled. _"That's what mothers are for,"_ she replied. She raised her arms as a column of light came down and consumed her. She reemerged as a four-winged goddess in golden armor, a mask covering her face. 

_"Now go, my son. You still have a duel to complete, and a disaster to prevent."_

Uriel nodded. "Right, it's time I take some responsibility for a change. So…Bonetail wants to conquer the world?

"I…can't let that happen…

"I…have to stop him…"

It was at this moment that the light began to shine more brightly than before. He felt himself returning to consciousness…

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A minute had passed. Uriel had not moved from his spot on the ground. Bonetail was filled with emotion as he roared out his triumphant victory.

"AT LAST, THIS GODS-FORSAKEN CURSE IS LIFTED! NOW MY ETERNAL REIGN OF TERROR CAN FINALLY BEGIN!"

As the dragon demon laughed, he failed to notice that the boy's fingers dug into the ground as he struggled to move.

It was only when he got to his knees that the behemoth took notice. _"What? Impossible! I annihilated the rest of your Life Points!"_

Uriel coughed up some blood before taking a few deep breaths. "Almost…but not quite," he was finally able to say in reply. The rest of the dust settled, revealing the Trap card he had activated just in the knick of time.

"_Nutrient Z?"_ Bonetail exclaimed.

"That's right," the boy replied. "Since any of your monsters…can do more than 2000 points of damage through attacking…my Trap raised my Life Points by 4000 before damage calculation..." The changes in Life Points were quickly made.

**Uriel: (1400)****..............................****Bonetail: (2600)**

If Bonetail had skin, it would have been beet-red in anger. "DAMN YOU, CONCEITED LITTLE CUR! WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR ME TO GAIN MY FREEDOM?!"

"You're never going to gain your freedom," Uriel said in reply. "It looks like I've been entrusted with stopping you…and that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"_Then make your final move!"_ Bonetail growled. _"Say as much as you want, but it'll mean nothing once I finally put an end to you!"_

Even though Uriel's body was weak, he slowly but surely drew for his turn. His eyesight was slightly blurred, but he was still able to see what he had drawn. Had he the strength, he would have gasped when he saw what it was.

"_If you won't heed the warnings I've been giving you, at least accept the help I'm providing. It could mean the difference between life and death."_

He remembered the stranger telling him this as she lent him the two new additions to his deck, and he was now holding the second card.

What was even more surprising was the fact that its picture resembled the being his mother turned into in his vision. Whether or not her spirit was infused into the card, he didn't know, but after reading its effect, he knew exactly what needed to be done.

"You know…" Uriel began, "you made a mistake during your last turn. You should have used Dark Armed Dragon's effect to destroy Valhalla instead of Sanctuary in the Sky. Now that my field is clear again…I'm able to bring out a high-level Fairy monster if I want. And believe me…I definitely do…"

Bonetail was a little surprised by this statement. _"What could you have possibly drawn?!"_ He asked.

"I'll show you…" Uriel played the card. "Rise up, _**Splendid Venus!"**_

A pillar of energy shot out of the ground, and a new figure emerged from it. It was a four-winged angel-like creature, with tight-fitting robes, armor, an elaborate crown, and a mask, all shining gold. She wielded a golden scepter topped with a large ruby. Her entire being radiated with the brightest light imaginable. (2800/2400)

It was so intense that Bonetail and his monsters had to shield their eyes. "ARGH! THE LIGHT! I CAN'T STAND IT!"

"You may wield the chaotic powers of darkness," Uriel proclaimed, "but that's nothing compared to the power of LIGHT!"

"_Your new goddess may be powerful,"_ Bonetail said, _"but Dark Armed Dragon still holds its own!"_

"Oh?" Uriel asked. "I'd look again if I were you."

Bonetail looked on in horror as energy began to dissipate like steam from all of his monsters. Their attack strengths had dropped dramatically; Il Blud to 1600, Ryu Kokki to 1900, and Despair from the Dark and Dark Armed Dragon to 2300 apiece. _"What have you done to my monsters?!"_

"Splendid Venus weakens the attack and defense of all non-Fairy monsters on the field by 500 points," Uriel explained, "making them easy pickings. Venus, destroy Dark Armed Dragon!" The goddess of Light waved her scepter, a wave of energy showering over Bonetail's 'instrument of destruction.' Moments later, Dark Armed Dragon was vaporized.

**Uriel: (1400)****..............................****Bonetail: (2100)**

"_This can't be happening…"_ Bonetail snarled. _"I cannot be losing my edge after all I've worked for…" _

"That's all for now," Uriel stated. "Just _try_ and get past her." He motioned to Splendid Venus, who crossed her arms. Her eyes were hidden by the mask, but it appeared she was staring daggers into the skeletal monstrosity.

As Bonetail drew, he heard the fourth rope of his Card of Demise snapping. He had no monsters in hand, and none of the cards he did have was capable of destroying the boy's new monster. He had only one escape route, but keeping it in his hand would make it worthless on his next turn.

_"I switch all of my monsters to defense mode,"_ he announced. Each of the zombies crouched, the effects of the goddess's ability still taking their painful toll.

"Next, I use Il Blud's effect to special-summon Gozuki back to the field in defense mode." As the minotaur reappeared, Bonetail drew another card from Card of Safe Return; once again, the card was meaningless at this point. _"Then I set two cards face-down. Go."_

Uriel drew a new card, but before he could do anything else, one of Bonetail's face-down cards activated, revealing itself as Threatening Roar. A great beast emerged behind him, roaring out a warning. Splendid Venus was taken slightly by surprise, but she didn't falter.

The boy chose to save what he had drawn for later. "Since I can't attack, I'll just end my turn."

Bonetail didn't even bother looking at the card he had drawn. The fifth rope broke, and the guillotine came down, slicing the deck of cards in half. The demon growled as he was forced to discard his hand. _"There's nothing I can do right now. I have to pass."_

"Uriel drew, instantly playing the card. "I pay 800 Life Points to activate Premature Burial, and I'll use it to revive a monster I discarded for Graceful Charity. Meet Divine Knight Isaac!" A knight in silver armor appeared, holding a large buster sword over its shoulder. (2300/1800) He shuddered as his stats dropped thanks to Venus (1800/1300), but he didn't seem to care.

**Uriel: (600)****..............................****Bonetail: (2100)**

"It's time to clean house! Isaac, wipe out Il Blud!" The Divine Knight leapt, slashing with his sword. Il Blud screeched as it was cleaved in half. "When Isaac destroys a monster, that monster is removed from play instead of going to the graveyard!" The boy was surprised when he saw Despair from the Dark and Gozuki explode on their own. "Uh…what just happened?"

"_When Il Blud leaves the field,"_ Bonetail replied, his teeth grinding, _"all monsters summoned through its effect are destroyed…"_

"Good. Two less monsters to worry about! Splendid Venus, attack Ryu Kokki!" The goddess gave another wave of her scepter, and Ryu Kokki roared in pain as the spell affected it. It soon melted away into nothing.

"I end my turn by throwing a card face-down." Uriel set one of his remaining two cards before waving his hand. He was clearly almost out of energy. "That's all."

A new flaming card appeared in front of Bonetail, and he started to chuckle.

"_Heheheheh…..HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"_

"'_That's all' __is right!"_ The beast proclaimed, activating his remaining face-down card. _"I activate Monster Reincarnation! By discarding the only card in my hand…" _A phantasmal image of a Zombie Master appeared, diving into the ground. _"…I can add a monster from my Graveyard to my hand!"_

Uriel eyes widened, realizing what Bonetail had in mind.

Lightning figuratively and literally struck twice as the requirements for Bonetail's trump card were met once again. _"Did you honestly think you had this game won, you pathetic little fleshling?" _He asked maniacally, as he immediately special-summoned the monster he had retrieved.

"_You pitiful_…………**INSIGNIFICANT FOOL!"**

In a horrific explosion of black fire, Dark Armed Dragon reemerged, its roar even louder and fiercer.

"_It's time to finish this! __I remove Ryu Kokki to destroy your Splendid Venus!"_ The behemoth absorbed the essence of the skeletal ogre, preparing to fire off another volley of death…

But Uriel would not have any of it.

"I hate to break it to you, but _you're _finished!" He replied. "Activate Trap! _Divine Wrath!"_ Lightning struck again, but this time it was white.

"By ditching the only card in _my_ hand," he explained as he discarded his trusty Enemy Controller, "not only is your so-called 'ultimate weapon's' effect negated, the monster itself is _DESTROYED!"_ The lightning struck Dark Armed Dragon. It screeched in surprise and defiance as it exploded.

Bonetail was at a loss for words. For eons, he had been waiting for his moment of escape, to reach the surface and conquer the world on his own accord. In one instant, all of the effort he had put in, all the souls he had devoured, and all of the power he had accumulated…

…it was all for naught.

"_This can't be…"_ He was finally able to say.

"Oh, it can," Uriel replied. "You have no cards left. I take it this means you end your turn."

"_Im…Impossible…I had everything planned…everything figured out…including your demise…how can I lose now, after all I've done?!"_

"After all you've done? All you've done is bring death and destruction to everything you've touched. It's no wonder you were locked away! If you were able to escape, you'd make it so there would be nothing left for anyone or anything! You're nothing but a monstrous freak with no remorse for anything you've done or may do!"

Bonetail's skull began to glow red, the sockets lighting up as if he still had his eyes. He gave a horrific roar of malice.

"Surrender now," Uriel ordered. "Give up, and I'll let you live. I'll let you stay locked up down here, where you won't cause harm to anyone or anything else anymore. That's about all I can offer…"

_"No…"_ Bonetail somehow managed to get up despite the damage to his skeletal body. _"No……..no……._**NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!**" The demon's rage had reached its peak. "**SCREW THIS GAME!** I MAY NOT HAVE DEFEATED YOU, BUT MY FREEDOM AND YOUR SOUL ARE STILL **MINE!**" With the last ounce of strength left in his body, Bonetail made a lunge for Uriel. Afraid, weakened, bloodied and bruised, the boy had no hope of escape.

But that wasn't a problem.

Chains glowing in different-colored energies rained down, wrapping themselves around different parts of Bonetail's body. The demon thrashed violently as he tried desperately to break free, but to no avail.

"What's going on?" Uriel looked up to see where the chains were coming from. His answer came down in the form of six cloaked figures. They levitated off the ground as they tightened the chains they held.

"Hurry," one of the figures shouted, "put an end to this while you have the chance!"

Uriel was surprised, but remembering the situation at hand he quickly complied. "Divine Knight Isaac, direct attack!" The Divine Knight swung his sword, creating a giant gash in Bonetail's skull.

"Splendid Venus, _END THIS!"_ The goddess fired a large ball of pure-white energy from her staff, the attack detonating on impact where the gash was made. The entire front part of Bonetail's skull broke apart, and the force of the explosion caused him to flip over with a painful groan, crashing to the ground on his back.

**Uriel: (600)****..............................****Bonetail: (0) **

"NOOOOO!" Bonetail howled. The ground shook as his body started to crumble, black energy venting out of his shattered bones_. "My empire! My destiny!_ **THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!**" In one last shriek, his being shattered to bits. The earthquake ended as the remains of the demon dissolved into dust.

"It's over," the boy sighed. His monsters vanished as he hung his head in relief. "He's through…" Having no strength left, he fell to the ground.

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_The wrath of Bonetail has been extinguished, but there are some answers that are missing. What happened to the souls he had already claimed? Is there truly a treasure? Will Uriel live to find out? Don't miss this project's conclusion, "Light of Redemption."_


	6. Light of Redemption

Well, this is it, folks. The final chapter. I have been debating on whether this is good enough, or if it needed improvement. Methinks I will let the populace decide. Hope everyone enjoys...

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**Chapter 6: Light of Redemption**

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"Wake up…"

Uriel could hear the voice, but this was different than the one from his vision. This voice, too, was familiar, but far more recent in his memory.

The boy opened his eyes, revealing to him new surroundings. It appeared he was lying in a bed of some kind of hospital wing. Various gadgets were attached to his arm, most likely to monitor his life readings. Considering the events that had transpired, it wasn't a surprise people would be concerned.

"Where am I?" He asked, noticing his voice just as weakened as his body.

"You're in the palace's medical ward. You've been out cold for three days." Turning his head, Uriel saw one of the cloaked figures that came to his aid by his bedside. Quickly he recognized who it was.

"I remember you…you're the one who met me at the Pit entrance," he said.

"Well, at least your short-term memory wasn't affected," the woman said. "I'm even more surprised that you're still alive after all this."

"You…and the others who came…there's something weird about you. Who are you guys, anyway?"

"I figured it would be obvious by now." The woman pulled back the hood of her cloak and revealed herself. She was in her mid-thirties, but her features were strikingly beautiful. Her platinum-blonde hair and piercing blue eyes nearly made Uriel's jaw drop. He had seen archival photos of the Shadow Spawn taken roughly a year after the Monster Island Tournament, and this woman - despite the twenty years that had passed - bore an uncanny resemblance to the youngest sibling.

"L...Lady Melissa…" the boy stammered.

"There's no need for such formalities," Melissa said, "at least, not in a place like this. You have been through so much, even more than perhaps I or any of my siblings have experienced. It's only fair that you hear the truth of the matter."

"You knew about Bonetail all along," Uriel guessed.

"Well, that depends on how you look at it," Melissa replied. "I was telling the truth when I said no one knew what he looked like. He was cast off into the deepest part of my mother's sanctum centuries before I was even born. She did tell us stories about Bonetail, using him as an example of what would happen if anyone dared cross her. We were also told he had learned the ability to absorb the souls of his victims."

"Did you know about the Pit itself?" The boy asked.

"Partly, yes. When our mother found out Bonetail was still technically alive and kicking and had stolen a deck, she was ticked off, to say the least. It took two-dozen scotches to calm her down." When Uriel's eyes widened in surprise, Melissa gave a cough. "Hey, she was a magical entity. She could handle far more liquor than any mortal could without actually getting drunk. Anyway, she made sure his dungeon was sealed off from the rest of the palace, essentially the deepest part of the island. She took as many precautions as her powers would allow, including creating demon sentinels to guard each doorway through the Pit."

"Apparently it wasn't enough," Uriel commented, "because people still chose to try and get through it, myself included."

"You saw how the decks improved Level after Level. It was set up so the sentinels could pass on information to those below them. While the decks were already set in stone, besides the last nine, each lower guardian would know what to expect from the opponent making their way down."

"Speaking of which, why did the last few guardians have decks similar to mine?"

"It was all part of the curse," Melissa explained. "For a duelist to make it that far into the Pit is a miracle all by itself. The Pit had plenty of magical and defensive strings attached, per se. It was capable of reading every card a person plays, preparing the last few guardians to have decks as close as possible to the challenger. The Queen figured that the best way to throw people off would be to have them squaring off in mirror matches."

"Did you know about the loophole in the curse on Bonetail?"

"No. Well, at least not at first. In the beginning we assumed people were simply dying from exhaustion. We didn't know that Bonetail was still absorbing those souls until his energy began to return. We were taught to detect such power levels in case the defenses had to be bolstered. We became aware after 100 or so victims met their fates. The more souls he absorbed, the more desperate we became. We tried constantly to warn people not to go inside, but no one ever listened. Any wall we put up was torn down, any magical barrier destroyed with counter-magic. My brother Vladimir decided to that we had to be prepared for the worst, since simply giving up was not an option."

"Where is your brother, anyway, and the rest of your siblings, while we're at it?"

"Down in Level 100, helping with the clean-up effort," Melissa replied. "You wouldn't believe how much ash Bonetail's body left behind after his death. We plan on gathering as much of it as we can and expelling it from this plain of reality, to ensure there are no lingering aftereffects from his…activities."

"And the souls he had absorbed already?"

Melissa sighed. "I'm afraid retrieving them is beyond even our abilities. Even the more relatively recent victims were from months ago, and it gave Bonetail plenty of time to incorporate their spiritual energies into his being. When his life was extinguished, he took with him the souls he had collected. We can only hope that those 999 who sacrificed themselves can finally rest…if they can somehow find it…"

There was a morbid silence as Uriel closed his eyes. He was so focused on what he wanted from his little hunt that he gave no real thought for those who died before him. The selfishness had consumed him to almost no end. What made it worse was the fact he didn't care what happened to him, disregarding even his remaining family.

Melissa was the one who broke the silence. "I suppose you're wondering about the treasure."

Uriel opened his eyes, his look far more somber than when he first met her. "I thought the treasure was having my heart's desire fulfilled. I thought it would be something that could help return my life to the way it was, back to when my parents were still alive. I realize now that it wasn't just wishful thinking, but also foolhardy. Just coming out of this mess in one piece - knowing that I helped prevent a global cataclysm from happening - knowing that there is so much more I can do on my own to make life better for myself and those I care about – I think that's treasure enough."

The Shadow Spawn smiled. "Well said, bearer of Light. I guess this means you wouldn't be interested in what's in here, then…" She produced a small chest from her cloak.

Uriel gasped. "Wait…is that…"

"Yes," Melissa replied, "this is indeed the treasure. Vladimir came across it yesterday during the excavation. He told me to have this presented to you when you were ready. Based on this little redemption of yours, and the fact that you were able to do what we ourselves couldn't, it is only right that you are rewarded for your efforts. Go ahead, take it. It's yours."

Uriel reached out and gently received the chest. Putting it on his lap, he carefully opened the lid. Inside was a small collection of precious gems and gold coins. "My god…how much is all of this worth?"

"We estimate $100,000 in American currency. That should be enough to sustain you and your family for quite a while."

Uriel was so ecstatic that he almost didn't notice the other surprise. Sitting on top of the treasure pile was a single Duel Monsters Trap card. Picking it up, he read it.

**Return Postage - **Continuous Trap Card** - **When you take Effect or Battle Damage, you may inflict half that damage to your opponent's Life Points. This effect can only be used once per turn.

"This is unreal…" Uriel mused. "Is this like the cards the Three Heroes used?"

"I don't think so," Melissa said. "It had to have been made around the same time as the seven Enchanted Cards, but its magical power doesn't come close. I'd imagine it's still usable, but you'd have to test it out in an actual duel."

"Oh, speaking of which…" Uriel reached over to his Duel disk and searched his deck for the cards he had received prior to his hunt. He held out Splendid Venus and Valhalla, Hall of the Fallen. "Here, you can have these back. They are yours, after all."

Melissa was surprised by this. "Actually, they don't belong to me. These cards were among those the Shadow Queen obtained for her most loyal subjects. After her demise, we've been finding ways of getting rid of them, either selling them to trustworthy vendors or giving them out as prizes for other tournaments we have held. Consider those two cards added gifts for your accomplishments."

Uriel bowed his head. "Thank you," he said. "I don't know where I'd be without your help."

The Spawn of Light nodded. "I'm not the one who should be thanked here. Now, I've taken up enough of your time. I'll see to it your trip back home is arranged. In the meantime, get some rest. You've most certainly earned it."

"Before you go," Uriel began, "you don't suppose you could honor me with a duel before I do leave, could you? I want to test this Return Postage card, but playing against someone of your caliber will be a relief after everything I've been through."

Melissa smiled. "It would be a pleasure." With that, she left the medical ward.

Uriel sighed as he lay back down. He had begun his journey as a rebellious thrill seeker with a clouded mind and no sense of proper judgment. Facing his own peril and emerging victorious, he would be ending it a changed person. He had other things to consider, now. His grandparents were probably worried sick about him, but perhaps his gift-bearing would help lessen the criticism.

He then thought about the vision he had, and wondered if his parents were still watching over him from above, still caring for him from beyond.

Getting to his knees, he put his hands together and began to pray…

**The End**


End file.
